The University of Virginia’s global and national impact on women’s swimming seems to grow all the time.
On Sunday, while competing at the Sette Colli Trophy, a three-day international meet in Rome, Wahoo alumnus , besting the time of Kate Douglass, Walsh’s former UVA teammate, .
Walsh’s time of 23.55 seconds is also an American record, marking the 100th American record a UVA swimmer has set in the last five years.
UVA swimmers currently hold 17 world records. The six-time defending NCAA champion program maintains an elite reputation.
Walsh and Douglass – a combined nine Olympic medals between them – are among the decorated UVA alumni who still train in Charlottesville under coach Todd DeSorbo and the current Wahoo team.
“I think it’s the training group we have out there,” . “Not only are we putting the best swimmers in the world in the water together, but we’re putting the most fun-loving group of swimmers in the water. We work really hard, push each other every day, and have a lot of fun doing it.
“The sport is really hard and can be very challenging, and I think that they keep me sane and they keep me happy. And that’s all it takes at this level.”
Walsh has now broken a world record 21 times in her career, all coming since the U.S. Olympic Trials in June 2024.
TWO CAVS. EIGHT DAYS APART. 🤯
Gretchen Walsh sets a WORLD RECORD in the 50m freestyle just days after training partner Kate Douglass broke the same record. 👏— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics)
鶹ƽ recent run on American records began at the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championship meet .
